


Just the Way You Are

by Jokers_Sanity



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Body Image, Crying Gabriel, Established Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Family Fluff, Gabriel Lives, Gabriel is Bad at Feelings, Gabriel is a Softie, Implied Castiel/Dean Winchester, Insecurity, M/M, Post Mpreg, Protective Sam Winchester, Vulnerability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 11:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8369905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jokers_Sanity/pseuds/Jokers_Sanity
Summary: "Good to be back. It's cold as fu...fudge out there." He hurriedly corrects, finding himself on the receiving end of twin looks of disapproval. "So, any particular reason you two are getting all dolled up?" There was no need to mention that Gabriel looked like a clown that had been road-hauled by a tractor trailer...The archangel grins, "It's Makeover Monday! And besides, I've been dying to try out this new polish - the lady at the supply store just insisted that 'spaghetti strap' was my color." Here, he carefully inspects his nails. "I dunno... do you think it's too light? Maybe I need something brighter -,"Or, Gabriel is feeling self-conscious about his post-pregnancy body and Sam is a little slow on the uptake.





	

It's a cold, dank Monday afternoon when Sam stumbles into the bunker, two bags of groceries in hand, to find the living room in a state of controlled chaos - bottles of nail polish in every color imaginable are strewn across the floor, the dozens of pieces to their daughter's toy makeover kit lining the table, the various hair accessories that had once lined her Hello Kitty purse upended on the sofa...

And in the middle of it all, Gabriel sitting patiently as Maron paints his fingernails the gaudiest shade of pink that Sam has ever seen.

Gabe is the first to notice him, and when he turns to face his mate Sam can see lipstick smeared like clown paint across the archangel's face. "Welcome back, Samsquatch."

"Good to be back. It's cold as fu...fudge out there." He hurriedly corrects, finding himself on the receiving end of twin looks of disapproval. "So, any particular reason you two are getting all dolled up?" There was no need to mention that Gabriel looked like a clown that had been road-hauled by a tractor trailer...

The archangel grins, "It's Makeover Monday! And besides, I've been _dying_ to try out this new polish - the lady at the supply store just _insisted_ that 'spaghetti strap' was my color." Here, he carefully inspects his nails. "I dunno... do you think it's too light? Maybe I need something brighter -,"

"No!" The idea that there is something _more_ horrifying than this so-called 'spaghetti strap' is reason enough to stop this before it spirals out of control.

"You're moving around too much, Daddy. You'll mess up all my hard work." Maron pouts, wrapping her tiny hand around Gabriel's wrist and bringing his hand back over so she could inspect the still-wet nails for damage. Thankfully, there was none.

At four, Maron had developed into her Daddy's miniature twin. She's short and skinny, with dirty blonde waves that just barely dust her shoulders and amber eyes that sparkle with mirth. It also helps that Gabriel has dressed them alike since the day she was born - even now, both are dressed in light blue jeans, plain white t-shirts, with bright pink bows in their hair. Their both even wearing the same color nail polish.

Sam just enjoys watching them together. He'd always known that Gabriel would make an excellent father, despite the archangel's many reservations. After all, according to the lore Loki had any number of hellacious spawn, including an eight-legged horse (though Gabriel would not confirm the legitimacy of any of the aforementioned legends). Watching him play makeover with Maron, or sing David to sleep... as far as Sam was concerned, life simply didn't get much better.

And secretly, he hoped that their six-month-old fledgling turned into a carbon copy of Gabe as well...

"Perfect!" Maron declares happily, carefully putting the polish aside so it wouldn't spill. "What do you think, Daddy?"

Gabe eyes her handiwork, before nodding in agreement. "I think this just might be your best work yet, dollface." With a groan, the archangel manages to climb to his feet, throwing his arms over his head and stretching till his back lets out a satisfactory _pop_.

The slightest hint of Gabe's belly is visible, and Sam can't help but stare at the beautiful expanse of creamy white skin... that is, of course, until Gabriel notices and hurriedly pulls his shirt down, making a point of looking anywhere but at the hunter.

Sam tries not to let Gabriel's sudden shift in behavior effect him, but this is easier said than done. With a sigh, he relents, "I'm gonna go start on dinner. What do you feel like, Mare? Chicken fingers or mini pizzas?" Two amazingly healthy choices, he knew. But Maron was a picky eater, just like Gabriel. If it wasn't unhealthy, she wouldn't have it.

"Chicken!" Maron chirps happily, before running over to her father's side. "Can I help, Papa?"

"Sure, sweetie. I always appreciate an extra helping hand."

And Gabriel's odd behavior is all but forgotten until, after setting David and Maron up with their dinner, Gabriel refuses to eat. This, by itself, would not be enough to alarm Sam. Domesticated or no, Gabe was still an archangel and as such, human food didn't always agree with him. His massive stores of Grace were enough to sustain his vessel - food was an unnecessary annoyance (unless it was sweets - sweets Gabriel could handle).

Except, apparently, he couldn't - since Gabriel's sweets remain untouched in the refrigerator, dangerously near their expiration dates. What the hell was going on?

* * *

Gabriel always sleeps buck-naked. It has led to more than one awkward night when Maron has come storming in, crying about a nightmare.

Lately, he's taken to wearing his maternity shirts to bed. Though the way he picks at the material, irritation bright in his honey-colored eyes, makes it clear that this decision is far from preferential. Sam is almost afraid to ask... Hell, he isn't even sure Gabriel will answer him, at this point.

Gabriel might be all about having a good time, _all the time_ , but sometimes his mood swings rival Dean's. When something is bothering him, you'd have to be absolutely blind not to see it. But whether or not he's actually willing to talk about what's bothering him... well, that's another story entirely. Either he'd come out with it on his own, or he'd get over it and move on. Attempting to force a confession from the Trickster was not recommended - the incident at the Mystery Spot was still too fresh in his memory.

"There..." Gabriel walks into the bedroom, a white washcloth stained bright-red with lipstick in hand. "Did I get all the make-up off?"

Sam smirks, "It's gonna take at least a week to wash all that off. Just in time for your next Makeover Monday."

Gabe rolls his eyes, "I blame the dumb squirrel. What kind of idiot goes and buys a four-year-old permanent lipstick?" He tosses the washcloth in the laundry bin, "He probably got so flustered standing in the cosmetic department he just grabbed the first damn thing he found."

Snapping his fingers, his jeans and t-shirt morphed into a pair of loose sweatpants and a pastel blue maternity shirt. Sam frowns, missing the feeling of Gabriel's skin pressed against him as he sleeps. When he was pregnant, he enjoyed rubbing soothing circles over the massive swell of his belly (angels carried for twelve months, apparently, yet somehow their fledglings were smaller than the average human baby).

Gabe had mentioned off-handedly that angels were not known to put on weight during pregnancy, since a fledgling was the product of angelic grace. Carrying a half-human child had been rather terrifying for the archangel because of how quickly he gained weight - especially after the nine month marker was passed. He'd put on an extra thirty five pounds and it had taken him until he'd gotten pregnant with David to lose them all... not that Sam had cared about the extra fluff.

"Something wrong, Samsquatch?" Gabe asks, plopping down on the bed with enough distance between them to fit another person.

Sam sighs, returning his attention to his book and attempting to appear disinterested, "I could ask you the same thing."

Gabriel seems to consider this for a moment, before joking, "'fraid I don't know what you mean, Sammy-o. I'm right as rain." His smile is painfully transparent, however. When he thinks Sam isn't looking, he starts to worry his bottom lip into a bloody mess.

"Really?" The archangel nods in confirmation. "Then why are you sitting all the way over there? You usually can't keep your hands off of me."

There is a moment of silence, then "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"There's nothing _to_ worry about."

He wraps his arms around his middle, doing his best to make himself as small as possible. Sam sighs, realizing that the conversation was bound to continue to spiral out of control. He should've just kept his mouth shut. Gabriel remains silent, merely rolls onto his side with his back to Sam and falls into a fitful slumber. While distinctly thankful that Gabe didn't kick him out of their bed for the night, he can't help but think that this might be one-hundred times worse.

"Night, Gabe." He whispers, knowing that the other is already asleep and unlikely to respond. Letting out another sigh, he turns off the light on the bedside table, rolls over so that his back is to Gabe, and tries to fall asleep.

* * *

"Do you think that I'm attractive?" Gabriel suddenly asks the following morning. He's messing with his over-sized shirt and attempting to suck in his slight belly.

"Huh?" Is Sam's eloquent response - the younger Winchester has just begun to stir, Gabriel's words failing to sink into his sleep-logged brain. Gabriel's face pinches with pain, and he hurriedly yanks his shirt back down, suddenly disgusted with himself.

"Nevermind. Forget I said anything." He whispers, trying to hurry into the adjacent bathroom. If Sam isn't mistaken, he swears he sees tears glistening down Gabriel's cheeks.

"W-Wait a second, Gabe!" It's almost comical, watching the Jolly Green Giant stumble out of bed and chase down his mate. He lands one massive hand on the smaller man's shoulder, "What's this all about? You know full well that I think you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen."

Gabriel shakes his head, "Sam, I gained ninety pounds while pregnant with David. I feel like a balloon, like someone just keeps blowing more and more air into me until I finally pop under the stress." He rubs a hand over his belly, "I'm not the same angel you fell in love with. It's okay to admit that -,"

Sam frowns, "You're _everything_ I fell in love with, Gabe. I mean, sure - you might've gained a little weight -,"

"Ninety pounds." Gabriel not-so-helpfully supplies.

"Y-You're still _Gabriel_. The beautiful, sassy archangel that loves me despite my many, _many_ shortcomings." He says, "I've been worried about you for _weeks_ because I thought you were seriously sick or hurt, or just planning to up and leave me - and after six years of being with you, of _loving_ you, I'm not sure I could take that."

Gabriel smirks, "Well, when you put it that way, I do sound pretty damn awesome." And then, softer, "And kiddo, you couldn't lose me, even if you tried - and you better not get any ideas." Sam chuckles, and Gabriel gifts him with a small smile as well. "I'm stuck on you like glue. Have been ever since we first met."

Sam approaches him cautiously. Although he now has an explanation for Gabriel's odd behavior, he still isn't sure if his attention will be welcomed. He teases the hem of Gabriel's shirt for a moment, allowing the angel a chance to back down... but Gabriel only smiles. It's small and shaky, but it's a smile nonetheless. Slowly, he lifts the hem of his shirt and splays his hand over Gabriel's belly. Even if he hadn't been allowed to touch the skin for _months_ , it's still as soft and smooth as he remembered.

Gabriel moans as he gently kneads the flesh, and while there might be more of it than he remembered, it's still absolutely perfect. Leaning down, he dusts his lips over Gabriel's, the taste of sweet, sugary confections lingering on the archangel's tongue even though he hadn't touched his guilty pleasure in _months_. Gabe leans in closer, amber eyes fluttering when Sam's hand sneaks up to gently massage between his shoulder blades -

"Daddy! Daddy!" The door bursts open and their four-year-old comes storming in, half-dressed and in a panic. Gabriel and Sam break away reluctantly, and Gabe easily scoops Maron into his arms.

"What's up, buttercup?" He nuzzles her hair sweetly, smiling when she huffs out a bright, glittering laugh.

But then she remembers why she was so distraught, and she buries her face in Gabe's oversized shirt. "Can't find Loki."

Sam rolls his eyes. Only Gabriel would buy their daughter a Loki plushie, modeled after Tom Hiddleston's version of the pagan god. Their daughter didn't need to know that Loki had been his 'alter-ego' of sorts when he was hiding in 'witness protection' - she just really loved the doll, and Gabe got a kick out of the irony of it all. With a snap of his fingers, a new Loki plushie appeared - with an added bonus.

Maron squeezes the plushie to her chest, giggling when the doll says (in Gabriel's voice, no less) "You're a bag full of dicks."

Yes, everything was once again right with the world.

 


End file.
